Coach's Corner

A few of us from the 5:30 crew have signed up for the Dallas Spartan Sprint at AT&T stadium June 10th. We are running as team OAKFIT and would love to have a huge turnout of members to run the race with us! Sign up for the race HERE. We are running during the morning slot. Sign up now before the price goes up! Also, be sure to specify team "OAKFIT" when registering.

I highly recommend the race, even as beginners. We will train together and run the race together. It's such a wonderful way to display the strong community that makes us love OAKFIT so much.

Please reach out to Courtney Riggs or any of the trainers for questions!

Pre-workout nutrition:

Increase energy and accelerate fat loss

After much research and our own personal experimentation, we are happy to announce the newest products in our nutrition cabinet. These products are designed by the experts over at Poliquin Group, who is known for their leadership in education, as well as standards of practice. These are products and people we trust! (NOTE: Please seek supplement and nutrition advice from one of our certified Poliquin BioSignature Practitioners prior to starting)

Here is a brief overview of the products and what you can expect:

Pre-Workout:

GlycoCarn PX

Research suggests that supplementation with GPLC may have the following benefits:

increased muscular endurance

increased recovery ability

increased fat loss

improved blood flow to working muscles

The GPLC contained in GlycoCarn Px also has antioxidant properties and may lower blood fats known as triglycerides!

Intra-Workout

Rise

Rise is composed of nutrients that support the body's ability to adapt to the biochemical requirements necessary for increased performance during a workout regimen or exercise program. Rise promotes hydration, nutrient balance, protein anabolism, and pH balance, all necessary to maintain focus and sustained energy levels, especially for intense training, but can also benefit those participating in moderate exercise.

Post-Workout:

Whey Stronger 2.0 w/ Organic Raw Cacao

"Smaller size for on-the-go convenience! Whey Stronger 2.0 uses high quality whey protein produced in New Zealand from milk provided by New Zealand dairy cows. The milk is harvested from cows that graze on pesticide and chemical-free natural grass pastures. This Whey Protein isolate meets the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZSFA) regulations. It has been tested for antiobiotic residue by NZSFA laboratories.

This product is free of Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rGBH), which is not approved for use in New Zealand. Whey Protein contains naturally occurring immunoglobulins, which are powerful physiologic factors that help support and maintain a healthy immune response. Poliquin Whey Stronger 2.0 is minimally processed so that the proteins remain undenatured, soluble, and have the utmost physiologic activity and benefit. It is 99.5% lactose free.

When it comes to fat loss, you must understand why excess body fat is stored in the first place. Poor insulin management and imbalances of glucose metabolism, along with sedentary lifestyle, are the primary reasons most folks can’t seem to hold on to those not-so-lovable love handles.

The upcoming 14 Day Nutrition Boot Camp is a kick-start to helping you start to lose excess body fat. The primary objective of this protocol is to reduce insulin resistance and improve overall insulin sensitivity.

Nutrition can be a complex game to play and there are potentially several variables. However, in order to maximize your success, we are breaking down some of the terms so you can easier identify the objective.

**Please make note that prior to starting ANY of our suggested nutrition or training protocols, we strongly advise clearance from your medical doctor.**

What is insulin?

Insulin is a hormone that is secreted from the pancreas to help manage blood sugar when consuming a meal. After a meal, insulin gets released into the blood to grab on to a sugar molecule to be absorbed into a cell. Thus, this will lower blood sugar by cellular uptake of glucose into the right cells, such as your muscles. If done properly then body fat is managed. If not, then this is where insulin resistance comes into play and those sugar molecules get stored into the wrong cell and body fat is increased.

What is insulin sensitivity?

Being insulin sensitive is basically how the body responds when consuming a meal. Not all foods stimulate the pancreas to release the same amounts of insulin. Foods such as fats and lean protein don’t need much uptake versus carbohydrates that have a lot more sugar and starches.

What does insulin resistance mean?

When you eat a lot of sugar, it gets digested and flows into the bloodstream. From there, insulin is then released and is absorbed and carried into the muscles. If insulin doesn’t work properly, then the sugar still floats around your body and has to end up somewhere. So, it goes to a storage site, A.K.A. a fat cell, which creates body fat. Example of storage sites that most people find to be problematic are suprailliac (more popularly known as love handles), waist, and hips.

How can we make our body more sensitive?

I don’t mean get all in your feels, grab some tissues and watch a chick flick. I’m talking about how our bodies process insulin. Simple ways to make this happen:

Strength training and interval work

Studies have shown that strength and interval training have a beneficial effect on insulin for up to two hours after exercise. The uptake of glucose is responsible for allowing more absorption and transport of sugars into the cells. This means you should save your carbs for post-workout times.

Eat more vegetables, leans proteins, nuts/seeds

Study provided shown that a diet in fruits and vegetables reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes. In compression to diets rich in butter, potatoes, and whole milk promoted a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night

Drink more water or tea and limit your caffeine consumption

Green tea consumption has been shown to have various health-promoting properties, study show that it will help promote fat oxidation.

Get some rays by playing outside for at least 20 minutes a day.

Vitamin D has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity by improve relationships of lean mass, and regulation of insulin release.

Find a Poliquin BioSignature Practitioner

We happen to have 2 here at OAKFIT on staff that can provide you with body fat analysis as it correlates to possible hormonal imbalances .

Five reasons you should be taking Whey Protein:

Whey protein will help suppress appetite, leading to lower total daily caloric intake. In conjunction with daily strength training, the caloric deficit will lead to improved body composition

Superior choice for protein -

Studies have shown whey protein to have 26% greater impact when compared to soy protein, rice protein, casein protein, and carbohydrate drinks. It is very digestible, quickly absorbed, and also very convenient to keep in your gym bag

Build lean, tone muscle

To effectively build muscle, your daily protein intake will need to be in the range of minimum 1g up to 1.6g per kg of bodyweight. Supplementing with whey protein will help you achieve that intake, which will stimulate muscle protein synthesis and rebuild the muscles that are broken down during intense training sessions.

Improve insulin sensitivity

In our 6 Week Strength & Fat Loss Boot Camp, we reveal the 14 Day Nutrition protocol that is designed to jumpstart the reduction of insulin resistance. The high amino acid profile in whey protein, according to research, has been shown to help blood sugar management.

REAL anti-oxidant

It's common to hear about the rich anti-oxidant value of superfoods like berries or vegetables. However, it is the enzymatic activity of glutathione that is stimulated by these foods. And glutathione is naturally produced in the body. Amino acids such as cystine, glycine, and glutamine are what produce glutathione. You know what's source is rich in those amino acids? You guessed it! WHEY PROTEIN!

Need supplement or nutrition advice? Let us know. We are here for you!

Every week we are fortunate to receive phone calls and emails from new folks inquiring about training with us. Like any business, we jump up and get excited to welcome new customers and potential Members. However, there is one sticking point when it comes time to answer the question: "What is different about your gym?"

It is easy to say how fantastic our Members are and how awesome our Community is, or how our Coaches are highly educated and truly care about each Member.

But to be honest, every gym says that.

And maybe they're right.

From an outside consumer's perspective and not knowing the difference, how do you decide which gym to go to? Especially when every single gym boasts it's "results" or "community".

It's Sunday, so we will keep it short and sweet, and hopefully some of these answers might help you decide. Enjoy! (Oh, and please make sure to spread the word. Our locally-owned, family-operated Small Business appreciates the gesture)

High School Lacrosse

Off-Season Strength & Speed Camps will be starting soon in December. These performance training camps are specifically designed for High School athletes, boys and girls ages 15-18.

These camps will be offered privately for individual teams, and not general open access. Doing so allows our Coaches to develop unique development strategy that is appropriate for each age group and team, as well as any Coaching Staff of the Team.

We use principles based on the long term athletic development model that allow us to design and implement highly effective performance training for athletes.

All camps will train and educate your high school lacrosse athlete in the following topics of sport and competition:

Dynamic Warm Up and Game Day Specific Preparation

Explosive Power and Speed Development

Safe & Effective Resistance Training Methods

Nutrition for Maximum Performance

Injury Prevention and Dynamic Warm-Up

Mental Resilience Methods for Excellence in Competition

Overall, your athlete will walk away with redefined vision of his or her athletic and leadership potential. Rates are based on each Team's needs and total number of participants.

Contact us today for more information and to set up a facility tour: info@oakfitdallas.com

Speed is everything. In both life and sport, your speed is a quantifiable display of mechanical and organizational efficiency. But just because you're fast, doesn't mean your quick.

What's the difference?

We can all agree that it is impressive to watch NFL players break 4.3 seconds on the 40 yard dash. As impressive as that is, what is even more impressive is watching that player decelerate, change direction, then re-launch at the blink of an eye. That's quickness!

These drills are in order by progression. Start with the first drill: Crossover to Base Up. Learning how to launch then mechanically decelerate is the first step to increasing quickness.

The second drill is based on reaction time. The Crossover to Crossover to Base drill teaches you how to launch, decelerate, react, then re-launch and decelerate again.

The final drill, Lateral Shuffle to Sprint, brings you more to game-time speed.

Use the first two drills as part of development and specific warm up. Make sure you take adequate rest between sets and that you alternate directions of launch and turn. Always start with your non-dominant side, and make sure you don't over-fatigue. Remember, the longer your foot is in contact with the ground, the slower you become.

Now that the kid's are back in school, it's time to focus on getting back on track at OAKFIT. Our new 8:30am Group Training class is fit for beginner and intermediate level Members. Ready to jump in? Classes will be every MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. Start now!

This class will utilize multiple forms of functional strength training using a periodization model designed to increase your performance and reduce your risk for injury. The program will increasingly progress using a variety of resistance tools including kettle bells and barbells, as well as medicine balls and various track and field workouts.

At their age (boys 12-16) it is important to focus on building an aerobic foundation and sport-specific skills. Many athletes at this stage have experienced enough play time in their particular sport to understand the physical demands of each competition. Our Coaches recommend to use programs that gradually progress motor skills and explosive power. Whether your athlete is preparing for elite competition or simply longevity and wellness, now is the time to increase your youth athlete's weekly training hours.

Our Coaches, who are certified by both National Strength and Conditioning Association and USA Track and Field, use the research-based long-term athletic development model to structure the performance programs for all youth athletes. Using this format allows us to maximize speed, strength, and explosive power, while greatly reducing their risk for injury on the field.